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Porsche 911

The very first Porsche 911 went on sale in 1963. Since then, it is one of very few cars that remains continuously in production. This luxury two-door coupe is one of the oldest sports coupe nameplates in production, and while it was updated continuously over the years, very little has changed. The lifetime of the Porsche 911 can really be broken down into two distinct eras: the cars with the air-cooled engines, and the ones with the water-cooled engines.

When the Porsche 911 was first launched, it had its distinctive shape and a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine. The air-cooled engine persevered through several model changes and updates until 1998. With the launch of the 1998 model of the Porsche 911, a new water-cooled engine replaced the air-cooled one. In addition to this significant change to the mechanics, Porsche also introduced a new body shell for the Porsche 911. The new engine and body style are currently still in use.

About the Porsche 911

The initial designs for the Porsche 911 were intended to create a larger and more powerful, as well as more comfortable, replacement for the Porsche 356, which was the first production car manufactured by Porsche. This principle continues to be used for each subsequent model year of the Porsche 911. Although these cars are fast, high-performance supercars, they are also comfortable for driving in everyday traffic. The seats are comfortable, and while the suspension is tuned for high performance and handling, it provides a smoother ride than some of the main competitors for the Porsche 911 when travelling at lower speeds. In its high-end class, the Porsche 911 can provide that little bit more for the money.

Porsche 911 Features

There are several different model lines available for the Porsche 911, which include the Carrera, Targa, GT3, and Turbo. Each of these also comes in several different trim levels, meaning that there are currently 15 different Porsche 911 models to choose from.

The latest series of Porsche 911 sports cars was introduced in 2011. It was built on a new platform from the previous Porsche 911, which was only the third platform used across the Porsche 911 lifetime. As well as improving performance, the main goal of Porsche with the new model was to improve the fuel economy of the Porsche 911. Not only was the engine modified, different materials were used in the construction of the Porsche 911 to make it noticeably lighter.

With this latest version of the Porsche 911, Porsche also introduced a range of new technologies. The steering system was changed from hydraulic steering to an electro mechanical power steering system. The new type of steering system uses less gas, but was criticized for providing less precise steering. Another gas saving system that was added to the newest Porsche 911 was a stop/start engine system, which turned the engine off at red lights. It also had a coasting system that caused the engine to idle when traveling downhill. The addition of a torque vectoring system improved handling and allowed the cars to turn more quickly and with greater precision.

Porsche 911 Evolution

In 1963, when the first Porsche 911 was released, it was equipped with rear-mounted, air-cooled flat-six engine that produced 128 horsepower. It initially had four seats, with the two in the rear being very small. As a result, it was often designated with a 2+2 seating configuration instead of being classed as a four-seater car. Drivers could choose between a four or five-speed manual transmission. In 1966, the Porsche 911S was introduced with an engine that was modified to produce 158 horsepower.

For the 1974 model year, three significant changes were made to the Porsche 911 cars. First, the engine was modified to increase the torque. Low-impact bumpers were introduced to meet the U.S. standards, which remained as part of the overall design for 15 years. Lastly, fuel injection was included in the Porsche 911 and the Porsche 911S. In 1974, for the 1975 model year, the first turbocharged Porsche 911 was released. In North America, this version of the Porsche 911 was marketed as the Porsche 930.

The Porsche 911 based on the original bodyshell and with the air-cooled engine, was in production for 34 years. During this time, it went through several different versions, with many variants being spawned. Adjustments and modifications were made each time a new Porsche 911 was introduced, about every three to five years, but the most significant changes came in 1998.

The Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S are all-new for 2012. Both are longer, wider, and lower than the previous generation, with redesigned headlights and taillights and prominent wheel wells. Porsche revamps the interior of both sports cars, especially the center stack.

Buyers who put a premium on handling performance will be thrilled to hear that Porsche resurrected its GT3 and track-tuned GT3 RS models for the 2010 model year. The 435-horsepower GT3 represents the ultimate in street-ready Porsche handling talent. Also for 2010, Porsche treated the Turbo to a power bump -- it now gallops with 500 twin-pressurized ponies.

The 2006 Porsche 911 is still very much the classic sports car, and even though it originally debuted in the 1960s, this thoroughbred still has a high standard of performance that many find difficult to match.